Maine's catch of lobster declines again as high costs and climate change impact industry
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s catch of lobsters declined for the fourth straight year, state fishing regulators said Friday, as the industry continued to grapple with soaring business costs, inflation and a changing ocean.
The haul of lobsters, Maine’s best known export and a key piece of the state’s identity and culture, has declined every year since 2021, and some scientists have cited as a reason warming oceans that spur migration to Canadian waters.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm%96 D64E@C 3C@F89E :? fg]g >:==:@? A@F?5D Wbd]f >:==:@? <:=@8C2>DX @7 =@3DE6CD :? a_ad[ 5@H? 7C@> >@C6 E92? “_ >:==:@? A@F?5D Wch]h >:==:@? <:=@8C2>DX :? a_a`[ C68F=2E@CD D2:5] xE H2D E96 =@H6DE E@E2= D:?46 a__g]k^Am
kAmx?7=2E:@? 9:E E96 :?5FDECJ 92C5 =2DE J62C[ 2?5 E96C6 H6C6 >@C6 E92? a`[___ 76H6C 7:D9:?8 EC:AD E92? :? a_ac[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r2C= (:=D@?[ 4@>>:DD:@?6C @7 E96 |2:?6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 |2C:?6 #6D@FC46D] |2C<6E F?46CE2:?EJ 5F6 E@ E2C:77D 2?5 2 =2E6 DE2CE E@ E96 3FDJ A@CE:@? @7 E96 7:D9:?8 D62D@? 2=D@ A=2J65 C@=6D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 724E@CD =:<6=J 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E96 564=:?6 7C@> a_ac E@ a_ad :? E96 =@3DE6C 92CG6DE @7 >@C6 E92? 6:89E >:==:@? A@F?5D 2?5 2 564C62D6 :? E96 @G6C2== G2=F6 @7 >@C6 E92? Sfd >:==:@?[” (:=D@? D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD =@3DE6CD 2C6 42F89E :? H2E6CD @77 |2:?6[ E9@F89 E96J 2C6 2=D@ EC2AA65 6=D6H96C6 :? }6H t?8=2?5]k^Am
kAm%96 @G6C2== 42E49[ 2>@?8 E96 >@DE =F4C2E:G6 :? E96 &]$][ :D 7C6BF6?E=J H@CE9 >@C6 E92? Sd__ >:==:@? 2E E96 5@4<D 6249 J62C] {2DE J62C :E H2D >@C6 E92? Sce` >:==:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 D@FE96C? }6H t?8=2?5 =@3DE6C 7:D96CJ 92D 366? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=@3DE6C\7:D9:?8\D627@@5\@G6C7:D9:?8\>2:?6\dh56_f`ec2fbg`a`fa_ah56c`55_c_2hQm564=2C65 56A=6E65k^2m 3J C68F=2E@CD 7@C J62CD] %92E 564=:?6 92AA6?65 2D H2E6CD H2C>65 @77 #9@56 xD=2?5 2?5 D@FE96C? |2DD249FD6EED[ 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D4:6?46\3FD:?6DD\>2:?6\=@3DE6CD\F?:G6CD:EJ\@7\>2:?6\chgh5dg26cc472fa66bb2`4adf_2_ec6QmD4:6?E:DED 92G6 H2C?65k^2m E92E E96 EC6?5 4@F=5 36 C6A62E:?8 @77 |2:?6] %96 4CFDE2462?D 2C6 D6?D:E:G6 E@ 492?86D :? E6>A6C2EFC6[ A2CE:4F=2C=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=@3DE6C\A@AF=2E:@?\564=:?6\7:D9:?8\CF=6D\6efff_e_3`a47`6aeebce3be4dgbdafdQmH96? J@F?8k^2m 3FE 2=D@ E9C@F89@FE E96:C =:G6D]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C E96 C68F=2E@CJ pE=2?E:4 $E2E6D |2C:?6 u:D96C:6D r@>>:DD:@? D2:5 =@3DE6C A@AF=2E:@?D 92G6 D9@H? “C2A:5 564=:?6 :? 23F?52?46 :? C646?E J62CD” :? <6J 2C62D 2?5 564=2C65 E96 DA64:6D E@ 36 6IA6C:6?4:?8 @G6C7:D9:?8] t?G:C@?>6?E2= 8C@FAD 92G6 42==65 7@C E:89E6C C68F=2E:@? @7 E96 7:D96CJ]k^Am
kAm$@>6 >6>36CD @7 E96 :?5FDECJ 92G6 AFD965 324< @? E92E 2DD6DD>6?E 2?5 D2J 7:D96C>6? 2C6 2=C625J C6DEC:4E65 3J C68F=2E:@?D >62?E E@ 4@?D6CG6 E96 =@3DE6CD 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C:89E\H92=6D\6?52?86C65\=@3DE6CD`4cagdfe3g4gh7`a`43ee5b_fcg374g_QmD2G6 6?52?86C65 H92=6Dk^2m]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62CVD 42E49 H2D DE:== C6=2E:G6=J 9:89 4@>A2C65 H:E9 9:DE@C:4 ?F>36CD[ FA 7C@> EJA:42==J d_ >:==:@? E@ f_ >:==:@? A@F?5D W23@FE ab >:==:@? E@ ba >:==:@? <:=@8C2>DX :? E96 a___D 2?5 6G6? =6DD :? E96 564256 367@C6 E92E]k^Am
kAm%96 :?5FDECJ D2H 2 3@@> :? E96 a_`_D[ H96? 92F=D H6C6 @G6C `__ >:==:@? A@F?5D Wcd >:==:@? <:=@8C2>DX A6C J62C[ E@AA:?8 @FE 2E >@C6 E92? `ba >:==:@? A@F?5D We_ >:==:@? <:=@8C2>DX :? a_`e]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 AC:46D C6>2:?65 9:89 7@C 3@E9 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 562=6CD[ E96 9:89 4@DE @7 ?646DD:E:6D DF49 2D 7F6= 2?5 862C >256 7@C “?@E 2 G6CJ AC@7:E23=6 D62D@?[” D2:5 y@9? sC@F:?[ H9@ 7:D96D @FE @7 rFE=6C]k^Am
kAmqFE :E H2D ?@E 2== 325 ?6HD[ 2D =@3DE6CD H6C6 EC2AA65 >@C6 4@?D:DE6?E=J E92? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>2:?6\=@3DE6C\42E49\D627@@5\E2C:77D\4=:>2E6\_h`773222a5ba747cf2342b2_6ee7g6fQmE96 AC:@C J62Ck^2m[ D2:5 $E6G6 %C2:?[ H9@ :D 32D65 @FE @7 {@?8 xD=2?5]k^Am
kAm“w2F=:?8 H2D >@C6 4@?D:DE6?E[ H:E9 =6DD A62<D 2?5 G2==6JD[ 2?5 E96 AC:46 H2D 9:896C :? E96 DF>>6C >@?E9D[” %C2:? D2:5] “qFE x E9:?< x =2?565 2 =:EE=6 =6DD]”k^Am
kAm{@3DE6CD C6>2:? C625:=J 2G2:=23=6 :? C6DE2FC2?ED 2?5 D627@@5 >2C<6ED[ E9@F89 AC:46D 92G6 366? 9:89] %96J EJA:42==J D@=5 7@C Sb E@ Sd A6C A@F?5 2E E96 5@4< :? E96 a_`_D 2?5 92G6 366? >@C6 E92? Se A6C A@F?5 :? D@>6 C646?E J62CD] {2DE J62C E96 AC:46 2E E96 5@4< H2D Sd]gd A6C A@F?5]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.